PCB’s own house not in order: Danesh Kaneria

MUMBAI: Danish Kaneria, the Pakistani leg-spinner was “not surprised” with the latest alleged attempts to corrupt the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has provisionally suspended their two batsmen-Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif.

“The PCB should put its own house in order first”, Kaneria, who himself was a victim, speaking exclusively over his mobile from Karachi, said.

Sharjeel and Latif are believed to have been approached by a few suspicious people and the PCB is believed to have very strong evidence. It is also being investigated the involvement of other players like Mohammad Irfan, Zulfiqar Babar and Shazaid Hassan, who are not suspended but were questioned.

“How do the bookies interact with the players? There are few handful of people in the board, who introduce the bookies to the players. In my case also, I was introduced by the PCB’s assistant manager on West Indies tour to Abu Bhatt. The credentials and background of Abu’ s was not known to me and without my involvement I got life banned, where s the man who introduced me to him is still in the PCB”.

“Though I was cleared by the police, the ECB banned me and there was no support from the PCB. The PCB is only supporting their favorite players and people”, the 37-year-old Kaneria, who played 61 Tests and 18 ODIs’, alleged.

“Take example of Mohammad Amir. He was convicted and sent to jail. Despite this, he is playing for the nation. The PCB went out of its way and supported him.Justice Qayyum had named several players in his report. Still, these former players are either commentators, coaches or selectors”, added Kaneria.

The PSL’s first season was a successful one but got this big blow on a very second day.

“The ICC and all other cricket boards should forcefully ask the PCB to have its slate clean. Then only the game will be cleaner”, Kaneria added.

Irfan exonerated
In the meantime the pace bowler Mohammad Irfan was exonerated late on Saturday, according to his brother Adnan. Speaking exclusively over his mobile from Pakistan, he said, “my brother is innocent. There was some misunderstanding which was cleared and he is back in the game to-day”.

“We lost our both parents in last four months and had my brother was found involved in corruption, the family would have suffered another blow”.